Overview & Reviews

Chevrolet sells an impressively wide range of vehicles, from subcompact hatchbacks to huge vans and SUVs. If you're looking for a reasonably priced vehicle, odds are that Chevy will have something to fit your needs.

Chevrolet got its start in 1911. After William C. Durant had been ousted from General Motors, he joined forces with Swiss-born racecar driver Louis Chevrolet to found the Chevrolet Motor Car Company. The company's first offering was the Classic Six. Introduced in 1912, this five-passenger touring sedan could top 65 mph, fast for the time. Chevrolet's storied bowtie logo -- reportedly inspired by the wallpaper of a Paris hotel room that Durant stayed at -- made its first appearance in 1914.

By 1918, Chevrolet's profitability allowed Durant to purchase enough shares in GM to regain control. Chevrolet became another division of GM, and was its largest volume division by the mid-1920s. By 1927, Chevrolet outsold rival Ford, with sales in excess of 1 million units.

In the mid-1930s Chevrolet introduced independent front suspension, which provided a smoother ride over the rough roads of the day. The 1940s saw continued success with affordable coupes, sedans and pickup trucks catering to American families, farmers and businessmen.

By the mid-1950s, Chevrolet, GM's entry-level division, had added a V8 engine, power steering and brakes, power windows and air-conditioning to its list of available features, allowing luxury for those on a tighter budget. Around this time the iconic Bel Air model -- available in coupe, sedan, convertible and wagon body styles -- proved very popular. The company introduced its alluring Corvette in 1953; the vehicle was the first mass-produced car with a fiberglass body.

The 1960s saw the unveiling of the popular, air-cooled Corvair compact, which held the distinction of being the first domestic production car with all-around independent suspension. That decade also witnessed the launch of the compact Nova, the midsize Chevelle and the sporty Camaro, the latter Chevrolet's answer to the wildly successful Ford Mustang. The Camaro proved an instant hit, comprising 10 percent of Chevrolet's total sales in 1967, its first year of production.

In the 1970s, Chevy responded to changing preferences by introducing small cars like the Vega and the Chevette, and by downsizing larger models such as the Caprice and Malibu. The company combated the market domination of foreign nameplates in the 1980s by rolling out the Cavalier. By the end of that decade, trucks and SUVs had started to become increasingly popular with the general consumer, and the brand's mid- and full-size models continue to this day to be some of the most popular on the road.

The '90s and the early 2000s saw the company raising the performance bar with its Corvette (notably the Z06 and, later, ZR1 variants) and reincarnated Impala SS. Chevrolet's Silverado pickup truck and Tahoe/Suburban SUVs continued to be hits as well. By 2010, the Camaro had returned to the lineup after a seven-year hiatus.

Modern times have seen Chevrolet make significant improvements in its small and midsize car models and introduce the Volt plug-in hybrid. The latter provides a nearly 40-mile range on electric power alone, and adds to the company's already well-rounded lineup of cars, trucks and SUVs. Though today's marketplace is very demanding, Chevrolet seems poised to remain a power player through its affordable and innovative vehicles.

User Reviews:

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  My Luck - 2013 Chevrolet Cruze
  By cd1993 - January 23 - 9:03 am

  Dont know if i got a bad one but bought my Chevy Cruze in May 2013 a month later had to have a new bumper put on noticed the other one popped apart from the frame, speaker had to be replaced, car started leaking under the dash onto the carpet when it would rain had to have a header put on, break light in rear window is very dirty and claim this is normal, rear bow tie popped off at the top had to be replaced and yes when i come to a stop my car jerks too. I dont like that the windshield wiper dispenser wont work when it is very cold outside but i guess that is expected. No light in the glove compartment. And sometimes there is a odor when you have the heat on.

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  Frequent Visitor to Dealership - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By frustratedvolt - January 21 - 8:12 am

  First of all, the Volt is a blast to drive. As my first GM vehicle in 20 years, I was impressed. I was very happy. Then charge light warning came on and it was back to dealership, then the charge door and again the charge door. The bearing in front drivers side went, had it replaced and then replaced again. A lot of trips to the dealership and missing work. Live in Michigan and charger was plugged into an external outlet.Well with the nasty weather we are having moisture must have got in the connection and fried my charging cord. GM is saying it is 100% fault of plug and will not cover. $475.00 to get new charger.There goes my gas savings and my GM loyalty I am done after this lease.

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  2014 Impala LTZ rocks - 2014 Chevrolet Impala
  By jukeboxeddie - January 20 - 11:40 am

  This car is a game changer for Impala. I have owned 14 Impalas since 2000 - my wife and I get one on alternate years. Mine is the LTZ and she has the LT2. The 2014 is by far the best yet. It does have a few flaws -- poor backup camera resolution, forward A-pillar blind spots, not great in snow/ice conditions. To me, this car is a far-weather vehicle and not designed for Winter driving. The 20" wheels are ok but tend to work poorly in snow/ice. Radio tuning is slow and lags when switching stations. Navigation ease of use is excellent.

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  2014 malibu ltz 2.5L nice vehicle - 2014 Chevrolet Malibu
  By dirty_ken - January 20 - 8:51 am

  I took delivery in early December and now have about 3000 mi. Car has all options except turbo and nav. Did not desire either. Prefer using reg gas and better economy. Prefer using identical Garmins in all the family vehicles. The techno safety features (blind spot, lane alert, cross traffic, collision alert, etc) are reason for buying car and they work great. I wish it had rain sense wipers, active cruise, locking gas cap, and rear heat ducts. Very quiet and smooth. Not a performance car for handling or power. I am a little disappointed with 30 mpg highway and 24 mpg city so far. Hoping it improves after break in.

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  Great vehicle!!! - 2005 Chevrolet Blazer
  By taidif - January 13 - 7:40 pm

  I have an 2005 Blazer and I havent had any problems with it! Its my first vehicle and I love it! Has plenty of power, reliability and there is no rust at all!! I have 160000 thousand miles on it and it drives like its an brand new vehicle. I think the reviews are a little off because this vehicle has no problems at all! I recommend this vehicle to anyone!

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  Malibu over others in segment - 2014 Chevrolet Malibu
  By l454s - January 4 - 1:28 am

  I had an Accord, son had an Altima, son in law had a Camry. Wife and I know the segment well. After lots of comparing, ended up going with the Malibu as the most car for the money without any compromises. First tank of gas (highway) yielded 36mpg, as have subsequent fill ups. Stop/Start has engaged a few times, almost didnt notice. Ride and cabin noise are on a par or slightly better than others in segment. Chevy My Link system works well with voice commands, bluetooth, and USB thumb drive music. Homelink mated up easily with garage door at home. So far everything works as advertised and we are very satisfied with our purchase.

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  Snow - 2014 Chevrolet Impala
  By jeff272 - January 2 - 12:54 pm

  I liked this car until winter came. This is by far the worst vehicle I have ever driven in snow, worse even than my Cruze, Cobalt and Grand Am. I can be on level ground on 2 inches of snow and just sit and spin. I took it to the dealer to see if they would check the tires and see whats going on, but they brushed me off and said they couldnt look at it.

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  Used buy value - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By stirfry1 - January 1 - 11:01 am

  Bought the car one year old, now have 60,000 on it with no significant issues.

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  So far so good! - 2008 Chevrolet Uplander
  By 59_cadie - January 1 - 10:22 am

  Bought used with 133000+ miles. 23+miles to a gallon @ 70 mph. Heater could be better but still keeps us warm in -0 temps. We got it for $6500.00 tax, title, ins, & travel expenses to pick it up. We are very happy with it.

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  BAD BAD Choice in a vehicle.. - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By redding63 - December 31 - 10:58 am

  Where do I start... first of all I owned the vehicle for 5 days to have it taken in to the dealership for costly repairs! Yes my warranty covered it but still, I had to have the water pump,fuel pump and timing chain all replaced! Then a month later the check engine light comes on so I called On Star to have them diagnose the issue,come to find out its misfiring.AND we smell gas in the oil AND our remote start wont work because of the check engine light thats on.The dealership has us waiting a week to bring it in. Not only is that bad business ,but to find out they may or may not give us a rental car to drive. Do I feel safe in this vehicle? NO absolutely NOT!